Kennedy dougan



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

K. DOUGAN.

BALLOT HOLDER FOR VOTING 'MAGHINES.

No. 488,937. Patented Dec. 27, 1892.

was: jflnvenior: I

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

K. DOUGAN. BALLOT HOLDER FOR VOTING MACHINES.

No. 488,937. Patented Dec. 27, 1892.

mtn/eyssesq Inventor: 1

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

KENNEDY DOUGAN, OF MISSOULA, MONTANA, ASSIGNOR TO THE MONTANA VOTE REGISTERING MACHINE COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

BALLOT-HOLDER FOR VOTING-MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 488,937, dated December 27, 1892.

Application filed April 19, 1890.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat I, KENNEDY DOUGAN, of Missoula, in the county of Missoula and State of Montana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ballot-Holders; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use it, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,

which form part of this specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in ballot holders; and it consists in first, aballot holder composed of a stationary and a movable part or portion between which the ballot is held, and which ballot holder is provided with two or more sets of perforations which correspond to the names which may be printed upon opposite sides of the ballot, and which holes or perforations in the ballot holder are made tapering so as to be larger at one end than the other, the larger ends of one set of holes or perforations being placed upon one side of the ballot, and the larger ends of the other set being placed upon the opposite side. Second, the combination of a ballot holder provided with perforations to correspond to the names of the candidates upon the ballots, and movable sliding guides which are also pro 0 vided with perforations and which serve to prevent any possibility of a mistake being made by the voter in perforating his ballot opposite the candidates name for whom he wishes to vote. Third, the combination of a perforated ballot holder, a perforated slide which is movable thereon, and an automatically shifting spring actuated covering device which covers one of the two perforations in the slide, and prevents the voter from perforating his ballot except opposite the name of a candidate, all of which will be more fully described hereinafter.

The objects of my invention are to provide a ballot holder by means of which either a blank or a printed ballot may be used, and upon which ballot holder a sliding guide is used to assist the voter in finding the perforation opposite the name of the candidate for Whom he wishes to vote; and to form the perforations through the ballot in two or more Serial No. 348,656. (No model.)

rows, and to so form the perforations as to avoid the liability of the voter making his perforation in the ballot at the wrong place.

Figure 1 is a plan View of a ballot holder which embodies my invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the same, one of the parts being shown in a raised position in dot ted lines. Figs. 8 and t are detail views. Figs. 5, 6,7, 8, and 9 show modifications. Fig.

10 is a detail view of the covering plate.

The frame of the ballot holder consists of the handle A, the perforated central piece B, and the metallic frame O. The central perforated part B, and the frame C, are each made of two separate parts one of which is pivoted to the other, so that the upper portion of both the perforated central piece B, and the metallic frame C, can be raised as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, for the purpose of allowing the ballot to be inserted and securely held between them. The two portions of the central perforated part B, are preferably made of flat tubes .so as to give lightness and strength, but each part may be made solid if so desired. These parts are also made slightly convex upon their inner sides so that they must be sprung together and thus made to clamp the ballot securelyin position ready to be perforated by the voter.

In case a printed ballot is to be used with the names upon either one or both sides, the metallic frame C, is desirable in assisting to hold the ballot, but this frame C, may be dispensed with as shown in Fig. 5, and the ballot be held between the two parts B. Where a printed ballotis used this metallic frame is preferable because it supports the outer edges of the ballot.

If the names of the candidates are printed upon both sides of the ballots and in two parallel rows, four rows or perforations are necessary, one row for each column of names. As there is a row of perforations for each column of names and as the four rows of perforations are placed side by side, it becomes necessary to prevent any possibility of the voter from thrusting the perforating pin G, through the holes of the wrong row of perforations, and hence these holes or perforations are made tapering so that the largest ends of two of IOO the rows are upon one side of the ballot, and the largest ends of the other two rows are upon the other side of the ballot. The per forating pin G, is of such a size that it can only be thrust through the larger ends of the holes and will not pass through their smaller ends. When this pin is inserted into the large end of one of the perforations it passes down as shown at Fig. 2, just far enough to perforate the ballot which is held between the two parts B, and no farther. By means of this construction a voter can never perforate his ballot for a name which is upon the opposite side of the ballot.

The slide D, consists of a metallic plate which moves back and forth over the ballot as it is held in the ballot holder and it is guided in its movement so as to prevent any possibilityof its sticking or binding by means of the flange I, which is placed upon the top of the central portion B. At the center of this slide and catching over opposite sides of the flange, a wider perforated plate J, provided with a finger piece R, is used, and which plate is provided with two perforations L, which correspond to the large ends of two of the rows of perforations, and which perforations L, assist the voter in finding the perforation opposite the name of the candidate for whom he wishes to vote. As will be seen in Fig. 1, the outer edge of the plate D, comes just opposite the lower edges of the names of two candidates in the two separate columns while the holes L, register with the holes in the part B, and which correspond to the names of these candidates. After the slide has been moved into position, the voter has but to thrust the pin through the hole that is opposite the name of the candidate for whom he wishes to vote, and adjust the slide into position for another name. After he has voted for all of the candidates he wishes to upon one side of the ballot, he turns the ballot holder over and votes in a similar manner for those upon the other side. There are two slides one for each side of the ballot. In order to cause these slides to move with as little friction as possible upon the flange, each slide is provided with a suitable number of small friction rollers N, which bear against opposite sides of the flange. To hold the two parts of the central portion 13, locked together while a ballot is held between them, the upper portion is provided with a recessed pin or projection O, which passes through a corresponding opening made in thelower part to receive it, and then a partially revolving catch P, secured to the outer end of the metallic frame 0, is operated so as to lock the parts together. For the purpose of holding the upper part of the ballotholderina raised position as shown in Fig. 2, while the ballot is being inserted, ashort headed spring Q, is used at the inner end of the metallic frame 0, and this spring, owing to its beveled end, is forced outward as the frame is raised, and then it snaps behind the frame and holds it while the ballot is being freely inserted. In order to close the raised portion itis only necessary to push down upon it when the spring again moves outward, and then the recessed pin which is located at the extreme outer end of the central part B, makes a perforation through the outer end of the ballot arid this perforation serves as a guiding point in case it ever becomes necessary to reinsert the ballot in the ballot holder forthe purpose of verifying the count, or for any other object. As the perforations through the ballots cannot be seen unless the ballot holder is held up against the light, and this no inspection officer would have the right to do, the ballot is as absolutely secret as if it were folded, or the perforations were concealed in any other Way.

In Figs. 6, 7, and S a slight modification is shown. Instead of having the open metallic frame 0, to receive the ballots, the names of the differentcandidates are written or marked upon the solid frame S, in the center of which is a groove to receive a narrow unprlnted strip of paper, and which is to be perforated by the voter as already described. Through this frame S, and the strip T,which fits in the groove, are formed asuitable number of rows of holes or perforations which may either extend in a straight line with each other or be placed staggering as may be desired. Upon the end of this strip T, is formed a projection U, over or in front of which the latch V, catches so as to hold the strip in position when closed and to prevent the ballot from becoming displaced. Both upon the outer side of this strip and upon the center of the other side of the frame is secured a flat perforated metallic plate, upon the center of which is the guiding flange and upon whichaslid eD, moves as above described. The slide is provided with two perforations as shown in Fig. l, and which correspond to two rows of perforations, but in order to prevent any liability of the voter making a mistake and forming his perforation in the ballot upon the wrong side of the flange there is pivoted to this slide a spring actuated covering plate X, which is made to cover or close the perforation through the slide upon which ever side of the flange this covering device is moved. In order to allow this covering plate or device X, to be shifted or moved from one side of this flange to the other a portion of the flange is cut away at Y, and after the voter has voted for all the candidates he wishes in one column, he has but to move the slide down to the cut away portion of the flange when the spring connected to the pivoted covering plate causes it to move to the other side of flange, or it can be moved by hand, and then by moving the slide back to the other end of the holder the voter is ready to vote for the candidates whose names are given in the other column. lVhen this covering plate shifts from one side of the flange to the other it leaves only that hole or perforation in the plate J, exposed which corresponds to the names printed on ICC that side of the ballot holder. The judge of election places the ballot in the ballot holder and shifts this covering plate to the right side of the flange before handing it to the voter. WVhen the slide has been moved down to the cut away part Y, of the flange the spring forces the covering plate automatically to the opposite side of the flange so that the voter is put to no trouble in making the change.

If desired the perforations may be arranged as shown in Fig. 9 where the large and small ends of the holes are made to alternate. The names of the candidates are then placed opposite the large holes upon both sides of the ballot. I do not limit my invention to any particular arrangement of these perforations for they may be varied at will.

In case the ballot holder shown in Fig. 5, is used, in each booth or private apartment where the ballots are prepared, in accordance with the Australian system which requires the private booth to be provided in which voters can secretly mark their ballots, the voter places a blank strip of paper between the two parts of the holder, and then he places this holder shown in Fig. 5 in a notch under a prepared plate or ballot such as is shown in Fig. 1, and then makes his perforations which extend down through his ballot and when he comes out of the apartment or booth he has but to hand the inspector or judge of election his perforated ballot. These perforated blank strips of paper, after the election is over, are counted by placing the ballots opposite the names of the candidates and counting the perforations.

Where the strip T, is used it may be hinged either at its end and be raised endwise, or hinged at its side and raised laterally.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:-

1. I11 a ballot holder provided with a perforation opposite the name of each candidate and which perforations are placed in any desired relation to each other, the perforation being made larger at one end than the other, substantially as described.

2. The combination of a ballot holder provided with a perforation opposite the name of each candidate with a slide which moves back and forth over the ballot and assists the voter to find the perforation opposite the name of the candidate for whom he wishes to vote, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of a ballot holder provided with a perforation opposite the name of each candidate, a slide which is applied to the ballot holder to move back and forth thereon, and which is provided with a perforated plate at its center, substantially as specified.

4. The combination of a ballot holder provided with a perforation opposite the name of each candidate and, a guiding flange formed upon the holder, with a slide which moves back and forth over the ballot substantially as shown.

5. The combination of a ballot holder provided with a guiding flange, a slide which moves back and forth over the ballot and which is provided with a perforated plate at its center, substantially as described.

6. The combination of a ballot holder provided with a perforation opposite the name of each candidate and provided with a guiding flange, with a slide provided with perforations at its center, and a pivoted spring actuated covering plate connected to the slide, the plate being adapted to automatically change from one side of the frame to the other and to cover one of the perforations in the slide, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination of a ballot holder composed of a central perforated portion B, provided with a notched locking pin 0, and the frame 0, with the locking catch P, substantially as specified.

8. The combination with a ballot holder provided with a guiding flange I, with aslide D, provided with a perforated plate J, at its center, and a thumb piece R, with the friction rollers which are applied to opposite sides of the flange, substantially as described.

In testimony whereofI affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

. KENNEDY DOUGAN.

Witnesses:

E. P. ELLIs, J. M. NESBIT. 

